The Struggle with in
by Boscosbabe55
Summary: Bosco finally comes home from the hospital. When he may think everything is going to be okay. His sister has other ideas. (The final part of the 3 stories. Please R&R Please and watch for another story to be out soon.)


The struggle with in  
  
(THE SCENE OPENS UP WITH TORI SITTING ON THE STEPS OF THE APARTMENT. OFF DAY DREAMING SOMEWHERE. WE HEAR HER VOICE IN THE BACKROUND.) (I OFTEN HAVE THIS DREAM. I'M IN A ROOM SOME PLACE. LIKE A BASEMENT, IT SOMETHING UNDERGROUND, BECAUSE WATER DRIPS DOWN THE SIDE OF THE WALL. IT'S COLD, DAMP AND DARK. NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND. ITS JUST ME. ALL ALONE. ALL BY MY SELF. I'M TIED UP AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY I CAN'T GET OUT. I JUST SIT THERE STRUGGLING. SO I SCREAM AND SCREAM, BUT SINCE I'M SO ALONE NO ONE HEARS ME. I YELL AS LOUD AS I CAN, CALLING FOR ANYONE TO OUT THERE TO HELP ME. TO GET ME OUT OF THIS PLACE, BUT NO ONE HEARS, NO ONE KNOWS I'M DOWN HERE. SO THERE I SIT ALONE, TIED UP. IN THIS COLD, DAMP, AND DARK ROOM. WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE ME?)  
Crisp autumn leaves crunched under peopled feet as they walked down the street. Tori Boscorellie stood on the doorsteps of her apartment looking down at the wheel chair ramp. She shook her head. Trying to get the images out of her head. Her brother would be coming home from the hospital today. It was only a little less then two months since she and her brother. Maurice Boscorellie, a New York city police officer with the 55th prescient were caught in a gun battle with three armed bank robbers. Her brother was shot twice. Once in the thigh and once in the chest, which exited through his spine, nicking his spinal cord causing paralyses from the waist down. The ramp, which was built by some of her brother co-workers. It still had the fresh pine sent which tickled Tori's nose.  
  
Tori looked up and down the street looking for the van that Sully was driving her brother home in. She didn't see it and wandered back inside. Ty Davis another one of her brothers' fellow officer was inside putting up the rest of the decorations for Bosco's Welcome home party. "Is he here yet?"  
  
"No. Nothing, just people walking down the street."  
  
Walking that was the one thing Tori wished her brother would be doing was walking through the door. Even though everyone kept telling her that what happened that day in the bank wasn't her fault. She still couldn't help but to feel a little guilty. After all if she didn't ask him to take her to the bank that day her brother would still be bale to walk and he would have never been shot.  
  
Tori walked into the bathroom and looked at her self in the mirror. She turned around to examine herself. She wore a white baby-Tee with a picture of a kitten on it and the word Purrrrr-fect written in pink under the picture. Her pants were pink velour that flared at the bottom; She also had a matching jacket. She noticed her scar that was on the right side just above her belly button. "Won't be wearing an bikinis this summer." she said to her self as she took of her baby-tee and replaced it with a white tee shirt. Hiding her scar. Tori was very self conscious of her scar. Shortly before her bother got shot, she was stabbed by her boy friend in a fight they had. He wanted to have sex and she didn't this caused Sean to get angry with her. Out of rage she stabbed her just below her lungs on the right side. It wasn't a big scar. Least not to everyone else, but to her the thing was huge.  
  
She walked back out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, taking a carrot stick and biting into it.  
  
"Hey that's for the guests!" Faith Yokas said as she hit the carrot out of her hand. Faith was Bosco's partner.  
  
"I am the guest." She said as she picked up another carrot stick carrot stick.  
  
"Well at least save some for when your brother gets home. I worked real hard on this veggie platter."  
  
"My ass you did. You bought it at the Ultra Mart. I was there. I saw it with my own eyes."  
  
Faith looked at her. "Well I worked real hard on putting this ranch dip in the center."  
  
"Which you also bought at the Ultra Mart." Tori said while sticking out her tongue.  
  
Tori and Faith had bonded over the months while Bosco was in the hospital. Faith had become the mother Tori never had. In fact Faith was way better then Tori's biological Mother, who when Tori was a kid was to busy looking for her next crack rock to even know she had a daughter. During that time Tori's Mom met Bosco's Dad. Little did Tori's Mom know was that Bosco's Dad was married to another women. Well Tori's Mom and Bosco's Dad had a one-night stand, and then nine months later Tori's Mom had Tori.  
  
Tori met her father once when she was 19. All she really knew about him, was that he drove a cab and was a bastard. Her father did tell her that she had a brother who was a police officer for the city. Tori always meant to try and find him. Then came the terrorists' attacks of 9-11, when she gave up all hope. With so many police and firefighters dead she figured there was no chance. Till the day in the park, where Sully, one of her brothers' fellow officer broke up another one of her fights between her and Sean. From there the rest became history.  
  
Tori walked into the living room and thumbed through the CD's looking for something to listen to. The tension was beginning to drive her nuts. So she figured why not just put some music in. That always lightened things up. She found one she liked and put in.  
  
"Whtacha listening to?" Davis asked.  
  
"Metallica."  
  
"Metallica huh?"  
  
"Yeah, its either that or some weird ass romantic music collection. I love my brother to death, but he really has weird taste in music."  
  
"Well I can get down with Metallica ?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"What just because I'm black doesn't mean I can't listen to Lars Ulrich and the rest of the bunch?"  
  
"I never said that. I just figured.."  
  
"That I was into rap and was best friends with L.L Cool J."  
  
"No damn it! I just thought maybe you were I don't know, to old." Tori whispered.  
  
"Too old! I'm 26, that's not too old for Metallica."  
  
"Okay, okay I'm sorry" Tori turned around when she heard a car horn. "Maurice!" Tori ran to the door and opened it seeing a light gray van. Sully waved at her. Tori ran down the stairs. She helped Sully with the van's lift. She looked up at the stairs and the ramp and saw Faith and Davis standing there. Faith waved at Bosco, who shyly waved back.  
  
"Cool gloves bro!" Tori said noticing his red leather gloves with the tips of the fingers cut off.  
  
Bosco looked at him. "Yeah real cool." He said as he waited for the lift to hit the sidewalk so he could wheel himself up to the house. "So who built the ramp?"  
  
"Davis and I, your sister painted the racing stripes up the side." Sully said as the lift finally stopped.  
  
"Great so now everyone in the damn neighborhood will know a cripple lives here."  
  
Tori pretended not to hear her brothers' comment. "We got a lot of food up stairs, Faith made a great veggie dip."  
  
"You mean Faith bought a great veggie dip." Bosco said as he made his way to the top of the ramp.  
  
"Well nice to see you too Boz." Faith said.  
  
"Sorry if I'm not all cheery and everything, but in case you haven't noticed I can't walk anymore."  
  
Tori felt a lump from in her stomach as she watched her brother make his way through the door. Faith put her arm around her. "He's probably tired, he gets cranky like this when he's tired. So don't take it personally."  
  
"Yeah I guess your right." Tori walked in behind her brother. How could she not take it personally? She was the reason he was like this.  
  
Tori watched as Bosco made his way through the apartment. She, Faith, along with, Kim Zambrano, and Alex Taylor who were medics from the Eng 55. house worked to make the apartment accessible for a wheel chair.  
  
"Turn that shit off. I'm in no mood for music right now." Bosco barked.  
  
Tori ran over to the stereo and shut off the music. "Sorry." She said looking down at the floor.  
  
Sully noticed Tori's look walked over to her putting his arms around her. "I'm starving, what's there to eat." He brought Tori close to him and gave her a hug. "Don't sweat this girl. He's just tired." Sully whispered to her  
  
"Yeah." Tori walked toward the kitchen, took a plate of some veggies and sat down on the couch. She dipped some cauliflower in the ranch sauce and took a bite of it.  
  
"Sorry if this is not how you pictured my homecoming kiddo." Bosco said as he came over to her.  
  
"It's okay, I should have asked you before hand. I wanted it to be a surprise though."  
  
"It's the thought that counts. Isn't it?"  
  
Tori sat and looked at her plate.  
  
"Hey look at me."  
  
She looked up trying to hold her tears back.  
  
"I'm not mad at you or anything, you tried, but I'm a glum goose that's all." He kissed her on her head. He then gave her a hug. "You meant well, I'm sorry I'm such a party pooper."  
  
Tori stood up and ran into her room crying. Her plate of food fell on the floor.  
  
"DAMN IT!" Bosco yelled.  
  
Faith ran in. "What's wrong? You okay?"  
  
"I upset Tori. Me and my big mouth." He said as he hit a glass off the coffee table. "I can never do anything right, I always got to go ahead and mess things up."  
  
"I'll go see if she's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it isn't that big of a deal."  
  
"Thanks Faith. Tell her I'm sorry."  
  
Faith slowly walked in. Tori was lying on her bed. Her face buried in a pillow. "Tori? What happen? Did he say anything?"  
  
She turned over. "No I just can't deal with this all. I thought I could, but I guess I was wrong. This isn't going to be easy is it?"  
  
"No, but no matter what one of us is always going to be there. Weather it's me, Sully, Ty or anyone else. You don't have to do this by your self, you just can't be afraid to ask for help. What ever your brother did he said he's sorry."  
  
"Honestly he didn't do anything, I just couldn't stand seeing him sitting in that chair, I couldn't stand being the one who put him there."  
  
"How many times do you have to be told that you aren't at fault before it sinks in."  
  
"A thousand."  
  
"If you keep blaming your self I'm going to tell Bosco."  
  
"But?"  
  
"No buts. Okay." Faith sternly said. "If you keep it up I will tell him."  
  
"No Faith please don't tell him."  
  
"Well if you keep it up I will." She said sitting down next to Tori.  
  
There was a knock on Tori's door. "Tori." Bosco slowly opened her door. "Tori I'm sorry if I said anything."  
  
She sniffled then wiped her eyes. "You didn't say anything. I'm just over whelmed with everything right now. That's all."  
  
Bosco rolled himself along side Tori's bed, put his arms out for a hug.  
  
Tori reached out and gave him one back.  
  
Bosco held her in his arms. He looked over at Faith then back down at Tori. "Everything's going to be alright." He kissed her on her forehead. "C'mon lets back out to the kitchen. Everyone is having a great time. Carlos and Doc just got here. Came right after they got off work. You put a lot of effort into this whole party so you should be out there too." Bosco bit his bottom lip. He really didn't want this whole party, he would rather have everyone go home and he wanted go to bed. Bosco knew though that Tori meant well and just wanted to do something nice for him so he figured he would just grin and bare it.  
  
Tori looked over at Faith, she nodded the go ahead. Tori hold of her brother's wheelchair and pushed him out. They joined everyone out in the kitchen. Tori still felt guilty every time she looked at him. She knew she wasn't going to feel any different anytime soon. Well not until the day her brother would walk through the living room door on his very own two legs.  
  
Every one soon left. Faith stayed to help Tori clean up. As Tori dried the dishes she watched her brother in the living flipping through the channels. "There's nothing on." He slammed the remote down. "350 channels of nothing!"  
  
Tori looked over at Faith. "He needs some sleep." Faith said as she handed Tori a plate.  
  
"I'll say, he's been such a cranky ass today."  
  
"As apposed to what? His usual cheerful self?"  
  
Both Tori and Faith soon finished up the dishes. "Well I better get going, before Fred thinks I fell in a hole. I'll see you both tomorrow. Bosco what time is therapy tomorrow?"  
  
"1 O'clock."  
  
"I'm going to drive him up there." Tori told Faith.  
  
"I figured as much, you haven't missed a day yet."  
  
"Yes I have I missed two days."  
  
"Only because you were to sick to go, and needed your rest. I had to just about tie you to the bed to keep you from going. Anyways I'll stop by after I get off shift."  
  
"See ya Yokas." Bosco said to her. He then turned his chair around and headed toward the bedroom.  
  
"Hopefully he will be in a much better mood tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, same here. But you know my brother just as well as I do. In fact you may know more about him then I do. So you know that he doesn't get much brighter then this."  
  
"That is very true."  
  
"See you later Faith, and thanks." Tori smiled.  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
(TORI LAYS ASLEEP AND HER DREAMS ONCE AGAIN COME BACK. IN HER DREAM SHES IN THE ROOM SOMEWHERE. CRYING AND YELLING FOR SOMEONE TO HELP. SHE TRIES TO WIGGLE HER WAY OUT OF THE ROPES IN WHICH SHE IS TIED UP IN, BUT SHE HAS NO SCUCCESS. SHE SCREAMS AND SCREAMS BUT NO ONE COMES)  
Tori woke up breathing deeply, her alarm clock blearing. Sweat dripped down her face. She turned over and slapped her alarm clock off. Closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. "Why won't these dreams go away?" She said to her self. Tori could hear a strange noise coming from the living room. She got her self out of bed and went to see what was the matter. "Maurice!" She ran over to him. "Let me help you."  
  
"No I can do this my self. I'm crippled not dead! Just go away."  
  
Tori took a large step back. "What happened?"  
  
"I went to get the paper, I dropped it as I came in. So I tired to pick it up and I fell out of the wheel chair."  
  
Tori watched him struggle. "You sure you don't want me to help."  
  
"Yes I'm sure. I can do this my self damn it!"  
  
Tori took a deep breath and looked at the clock. Her brother's nurse would be here very shortly. If he didn't get him self back in his chair by the time she got there, then well she could deal with it.  
  
"Son-of-a-bitch." Bosco was winded. He caught his breath and tried to get himself into the chair once again. He managed to pull him self up and into the chair. He exhaled loudly and threw the newspaper back down to the floor.  
  
"You hungry?" Tori asked him.  
  
"No I'm not hungry. When I'm hungry I'll let you know. Okay?"  
  
Tori nodded her head. "I'm gonna go take a shower. The nurse should be here any minuet."  
  
"Nurse! What the hell Tori, why is there a nurse coming here?"  
  
"TO HELP YOU THAT'S WHY! News item Maurice not everyone is against you. People want to help you, but you're so goddamn self-centered that you won't let them."  
  
"I wish people would stop feeling sorry for me."  
  
"AHHHHHHHGGGGGGG! Buy a clue! They don't feel sorry for you! They want to do what they are doing. There's no reward for it other then the feeling they are doing something for someone they consider a friend. If anyone is feeling sorry for anything its you!"  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes you. You feel sorry for Maurice Boscorellie!" a tear rolled down her cheek followed by others.  
  
"Tori why are you crying?"  
  
"Because!"  
  
"Because why?"  
  
"Because I'm trying so hard to help you, to be there for you. All you do is bite my head off. I'm having a hard enough time dealing with all of this that I don't need you biting my head off all the flipping time!"  
  
A frown came on Bosco's face. He looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry."  
  
The doorbell rang. Tori looked at him. "That's probably the nurse. I'll get it."  
  
"Tori?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
"Yeah I'm sure I'll hear that more then once." Tori answered the door and escorted the nurse in. Then went into the shower.  
  
"I'm Nurse Bradshaw."  
  
"Hi, I'm officer I put my foot in my mouth."  
  
The nurse looked at him confused.  
  
"Yes I know I can't put my foot in my mouth. It was a figure of speech."  
  
12:30pm rolled around. Maurice's nurse left and Tori got her self ready to drive her brother to therapy.  
  
Tori looked at Bosco through the corner of her eye. "Look I'm sorry about everything this morning. Just was tired. Ya know."  
  
"You haven't been sleeping?"  
  
Tori looked at her brother. "Not really no."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't know." For the first time Tori found her self lying to her brother. She knew why she wasn't sleeping because of the nightmares she had been having.  
  
"Anything on your mind I should know about?"  
  
Tori watched the road as she made a left hand turn. "No not off hand." She did everything she could not to make eye contact with him. She didn't want him to see that she was lying.  
  
"Tooooooori."  
  
"Mauuuuuuuurrrrrrice."  
  
"There's something wrong."  
  
"There's nothing wrong."  
  
They finally arrived at the hospital. "I'll help you out, then I'm going to take the van and park it somewhere and meet you inside."  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  
Tori helped her brother out and then went to find a parking spot. Bosco took him self up to therapy.  
  
She made her way up to the 7th floor where her brothers therapy sessions took place, when she walked in she noticed someone new there. Someone she had never seen there before. Her brothers therapist Julie saw her walk in. "Hey Tori, how are you today?"  
  
Tori was still trying to figure who this man in the wheel chair was, and why she had never see him before. "I'm good."  
  
"Tori I'd like you to meet someone." Julie said.  
  
Tori looked at her then looked at the man in the wheel chair then over at her brother.  
  
"Tori this is officer Jerold Mansfeild." Julie said indroducing the man in the wheel chair.  
  
"Officer?" She asked.  
  
"Yes he is a former Chicago police officer who was shot while in the line of duty."  
  
Officer Mansfeild came over and shook her had. "Julie's told me a lot about you and your brother."  
  
"I'm glad my life is cause for conversation at the dinner table." She said shaking his hand then walking away.  
  
"Officer Mansfeild is here today, because I've asked him to come and tell you his story." Julie said.  
  
Tori rolled her eyes and then her head. "Well no offence James but I really don't give a rats ass as to what your story is all about, as you can see I have my own issues here."  
  
"Tori that wasn't nice."  
  
Tori looked over at her brother. "Well pardon me Mr. Manners!"  
  
"Just give the guy a chance." Bosco said.  
  
Tori bit her bottom lip. "Fine whatever! I really don't give a shit either way."  
  
Officer Mansfeild looked over at Julie, who nodded at him to go ahead.  
  
"I was working one night about 8 years ago when, I got called out for a domestic disturbance. It turned out to be a little more then that, it was a fight between a junkie and his dealer, both wacked out of their mind."  
  
Tori looked at him.  
  
"The fight escalated into fist fight. I knocked on the door and told them who I was and that we would becoming in, when the shot at me. The bullet went through my right cheek bounced off my jaw bone, and lodged in my neck by my spinal cord. I've been this way ever since. Unable to breath on my own. I've been on the respirator since then."  
  
Tori swallowed then looked over at her brother then back at Officer Mansfeild. "What does this have to do with us?"  
  
"Well I wanted you and your brother to know that you aren't the only ones out there and that there is help if you need it."  
  
Tori gave Julie and snotty look. Put her hands on her hip. "Well we don't need anyone's help. We can manage just fine. So take your charity and go!" Tori looked over at her brother who was looking down at the floor, she then looked over at Julie and Officer Mansfeild. "Look I'm sorry about what happened, but your case is nothing like ours, the only similar is the fact that you and my brother are both police officer, and male. Other then the whole creepy fact that you are both in a wheel chair because you were shot, theres nothing." She shook her head. "I'm going for a walk."  
  
Bosco lifted his head. "Hey wait, where?"  
  
"I'll be back" She pointed over at officer Mansfeild. "Have fun with the freak show over there." She walked out and down the hall, Bosco just sat there looking at the door hoping she would change her mind and come back. This had been the 1st time other then the two times when she was sick, that Tori wouldn't be there during his therapy. He eventually realized that she wasn't coming back for a while.  
  
When she did come back, Bosco had just finished his therapy. She walked in. "He's still here, for Pete's sake, we don't need your help, we don't want your help. Don't get all Harry Potter on me and think by some magic spell we will want your help."  
  
"I know how you feel." Officer Mansfeild said to her.  
  
"Oh bull shit, you have no idea how I feel. You don't have a clue as to what I feel." Tori looked over at her brother. "Every time I look at him, EVERY DAMN TIME! I know he's in that wheel chair...." Tears slowly came down Tori's face. "He's in that wheel chair because I put him in there."  
  
Bosco looked up at Tori, he closed his eyes, than opened them again. "Tori, no. You didn't put me here."  
  
"I see him sitting there going through all that torture and I know its because of me, because I was to damn lazy to walk my self to a bank one day. So I asked my brother to take me. That day he got shot and now he's in that chair, and it all points back to me." By now the tears continued to roll down Tori's face.  
  
Tears ran down Bosco's face. "It's not your fault, you didn't know. Nobody knew what was going to happen that day"  
  
Tori turned around and looked at him. "But none of this would have happened if I didn't ask you to take me. Just maybe if I would have taken the bus." Tori covered her face with her hands and dropped to her knees crying. "You would be walking right now."  
  
The room grew quiet. Bosco made his way over to Tori placed his hand on her shoulder. "I had no idea that you felt this way. Why didn't you tell me, or at least tell someone?"  
  
"I did, I told Faith." She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her sweatshirt.  
  
"She didn't tell me. She knew that you hurt this bad and she didn't have the nerve to tell me?"  
  
"I asked her not to. I figured you had enough problems as it is. I didn't want you to hate me anymore then you probably already did."  
  
"Hate you? How could I hate you?" He blinked his eyes in confusion.  
  
"I ruined your life. Out of nowhere you found out you have a sister. You had everything together until I came along, then I came and life as you knew it was no longer the same."  
  
"You got it all wrong, you didn't ruin my life. My God you've made much better. I had nothing really, then you came along and brought so much joy into my life." Bosco could see the look on his sister's face. He knew she was hurting, he knew that this wasn't easy for her.  
  
Tori looked over at Officer Mansfeild. "So no you don't know how I feel, you can't even come close to knowing how I feel, not even close." Tori turned and ran out the room.  
  
"TORI!" Bosco yelled after her. "TORI! Please come back" He went over to the doorway and watched her walk away, looking over at Julie. "I had no idea it was this bad." He went over to his duffle bag and got out his cell phone. "Can you all give me a few minuets?"  
  
Julie nodded and she and Officer Mansfeild left the room.  
  
Bosco dialed a number and waited for answer.  
  
"Yell-ho."  
  
"Yokas?"  
  
"Boz?"  
  
"Hey theres a problem."  
  
"Okay?"  
  
"It's Tori, she was here for my therapy. Well they brought in some police officer from Chicago and it caused a lot of problems." Bosco paused.  
  
"Bosco - You still there?"  
  
"Faith how come you never told me that Tori blames her self for me being in a wheel chair."  
  
Faith didn't say anything.  
  
"How could you keep that from me. How could you have known that she was hurting this bad and not say anything to me?"  
  
"She asked me not to, Tori figured you had enough on your plate as it was."  
  
Bosco rubbed the back of her neck. "Well she just stormed out of here, I don't know where she went. I don't even know if she is still here in the hospital. She was so upset Faith. I don't think she's been sleeping either."  
  
Faith thought about the dreams that Tori had told she was having. The dreams where she was in a room somewhere screaming for help and no one would answer. "She didn't say anything to me about that." Faith watched as her rookie partner got sprayed with soda while opening a bottle of cola. "Oh man I just got this car cleaned too."  
  
"What?" Bosco asked.  
  
"Nothing typical Rookie problems. Every time you get hurt or something. I get stuck with a rookie. I wouldn't mind it if they weren't so damn stupid.  
  
The rookie looked at Faith, soda dripping from his hair.  
  
Faith shook her head. "I'm coming up there."  
  
"Thanks Faith."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, you owe me one."  
  
Faith arrived at the hospital. "Sit here, don't move don't touch anything, just sit here." She told her partner. She turned back around before going in. "I mean it nothing!"  
  
"Yes Em'." he said as he sat down in a chair. Located along the hallway.  
  
Faith walked in Bosco sat just staring out the window. Watching. "Bosco."  
  
He turned around. "Did you see Tori any where?"  
  
She looked down at the ground.  
  
"Damn it, where could she have gone Faith. I'm so worried about her. She looked so gone, so hurt, her eyes where so distant."  
  
"She'll be back, in the meantime you want me to drive you home. I can have Walker follow me."  
  
Bosco laughed. "They stuck you with Walker, man he's disaster waiting to happen."  
  
"Well I always get the Mama's boy or pussies when you're gone. Its like some kind of punishment. I don't know. But it never fails. You leave and I become a baby sitter for every idiot rookie fresh out of the academy."  
  
"Think she'll come back to the house."  
  
"I don't think she expects you to stay here all day, she has already figured out that you'll call me and have me take you home, and hold your hand and tuck you in."  
  
"Okay I get the point MOM, lets just go incase she's already there waiting."  
  
"Sure thing Bos." She put her cap back on her head and watched Bosco make his way down the hall. She knew how much his sister meant to him, after all she put up with hours of Tori this and Tori that every shift for a week. She was glad thought that he had something like that family wise. She gathered up her partner told him to follow her and again no matter what not to touch anything in the car other then the gas and break pedals."  
  
Bosco sat looking off into space as she drove. Not saying anything. He kept thinking about Tori what she said, the hurt look on her face. He only hoped he would never see that look on her face. He prayed to himself Tori would be home when he got there. So that he could just hold her, let her know that it wasn't her fault. That every thing was going to be okay. It may take time but it would be okay  
  
Tori zipped up her hooded shirt. The cold wind stung as hit against her body. It was getting dark but she didn't want to go back home. She couldn't go back there and see her brother sitting in that damn chair. Struggling with every day activities. Ones that just a few months back were simple, now became a test of strength.  
  
She found her self standing in front of the 55th prescient she had no idea what had brought her there. She was just there. Oddly attracted to it. Kind of like people at a scene of a gruesome car accident. They don't know why they are there. They just are. She looked up the steps. Watched as people came and went. She looked across the street and the 55 engine house. They were just returning from a call. Again for some strange reason she found her self walking towards the firehouse. Kim waved at her. She nodded her head in acknowledgement. Kim came walking toward.  
  
"Hey!" Kim said eagerly.  
  
"Hi." Tori looked back down the street at the prescient hoping that Faith or anyone for that matter wouldn't see her. "Kinda chilly out here think anyone would mind if I came inside?"  
  
"No I don't see why not. They're pretty cool about things like that here."  
  
"Good." Tori looked back down at the prescient one last time. Then walked in to the house.  
  
"Hey girl whazzzzzzzzzzzzzzup."  
  
Tori looked up as Carlos Neito came down the stairs. Rolling his head and sticking his tongue out.  
  
"Aint shit up."  
  
"So what brings you up here?"  
  
Tori scanned the firehouse, noticing a memorial wall for the men who died on September 11th. She walked up to it. "Huh? Did you say something?" She turned around towards Kim.  
  
"Just wondering what brought you up here? Your brother at the station?"  
  
"No I don't know where he is. Just went walking, that's all. Look if he calls here. You don't know where I'm at. You haven't seen me at all."  
  
Kim's face scrunched up like she just ate a lemon. Then looked over at Carlos who just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. "Oooooooookay."  
  
"Thanks." She said as looked at the memorial board. "Everyone on this thing here. They were all from this station?"  
  
Kim joined Tori and looked up at the board. "Yeah, all of them."  
  
"How sad."  
  
"Good guys too, had everything going for them. Then in a blink of an eye everything changed."  
  
Tori looked over at Kim. "Every wish you could change something in your life. Just one moment, take it all back. Like nothing ever happened, then just go on about your everyday life?"  
  
Kim looked puzzled. "I've thought about it here and there, that's all. Why?"  
  
"Oh no reason, just curious I guess." Tori walked away from the wall and looked at her watch. It was almost 6pm now. The sun had set and the wind picked up, making for an even chillier evening. "It's getting late I better get going. Remember if my brother calls. Wasn't here didn't see me."  
  
"Right." Kim wanted to ask why. She wanted to know what was up, but she figured it wasn't her place and just to let bygones be bygones.  
  
Tori stepped out side and looked up at the night sky. A cold, misty rain fell. "Damn it." She pulled her hood over her head. "I hate the rain. It's always so-so blah." She said to her self as she walked away from the firehouse.  
  
Bosco sat in his apartment. Watching the living room door. Waiting for any signs of Tori's return. He was worried. It was dark and cold out there. He knew how mean the cities streets could be. Especially to a young women like Tori. He went over to the kitchen table and picked up a newspaper. It was from the day after the shooting. Tori's face was on the front page. He could see the horror in her eyes. The camera caught every emotion on her face. He sat there just looking at it. Trying hard to imagine how scared Tori could have been that day. He couldn't. No matter how hard he tired he knew he could never know what it was like for her. He couldn't think of how terrifying it was for Tori to see some poor innocent teller being shot point blank in the head. Or a Mother of 2 get shot in her back, as she tired desperately to make her way to safety out side the bank. He slammed the paper down on the table. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Why? Why does it have to be like this?" The phone rang and Bosco quickly answered. "Tori?"  
  
"No it's me Faith. Guess she didn't come back yet?"  
  
"No. Not yet." He watched the door some more. "Where can she be?"  
  
"I really have no idea Bos. She's going to have to come back soon. All her stuff is there and she's going to get hungry."  
  
"Tell me something and I want the truth."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"How scared was she that day."  
  
He could hear her breathing. "Faith?"  
  
Her voice cracked. "She was pretty scared. When your heart stopped and they shocked you. Her scream. I'll never for get the fright in it."  
  
"She saw me get shocked?"  
  
"Yeah. Bosco I thought you knew all this?"  
  
"Oh my God Tori, I can't believe she saw that."  
  
"Like I said I thought you knew already."  
  
"How could I know, every time I'd ask her about it what happen she clams up and then quickly changes in the subject."  
  
"Look I get off in an hour. Fred's going to pick me up here at the station house we're going to come over there. You and I can take the van, and Fred he'll take the truck. Maybe we can find her. Maybe someone's seen her."  
  
"Alright I'll see you then."  
  
"Davis said he'd come too, stay at the House. Just in case she comes back."  
  
"See you in an hour Faith." Bosco hung up the phone. He sat and watched as the rain began to fall harder.  
  
Faith, along with Davis waited out side of the station for Fred after had finished up their shift for tonight.  
  
55-3 stopped and Kim rolled down her window. "Lucky dog you going home for the right. I'm stuck on a double."  
  
"Ah I'm going over to Bosco's. Some deep stuff went down at his therapy today. Tori told him that she thinks she's the reason he's in the wheel chair. She broke down I guess and told him. Stormed out of the room and hasn't been seen since."  
  
Kim kept cool. "Wow, that's an awful lot of baggage for one girl to carry, all alone."  
  
"Yeah, Bosco's took it hard. He's a wreck right now. You haven't seen her by any chance have you?"  
  
"Uh-uh no. Why? Did someone say I did, because I didn't." She felt sweat build up on the palms of her hands.  
  
"No. No one said anything. Just asking every one possible ya know just trying to cover every thing."  
  
"Well I haven't seen or heard anything, but if I do I'll give you a buzz."  
  
"Okay thanks."  
  
"No problem." Kim rolled her window up and drove up.  
  
"That was odd." Said Davis watching Kim pull away. "Think she may know something?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe she's had too much coffee tonight, but she did seem a bit jumpy. Like she was up to something."  
  
"Or knew something."  
  
Fred pulled along side the sidewalk. "You might be right." Faith said as she and Davis climbed into the truck.  
  
They searched the streets for hours. The rain had stopped for the night, but the cold wasn't letting up. Bosco's breath hung in the air like the icicle Christmas lights. "I hope we find her, it's so cold out here."  
  
Faith looked over at him seeing him staring out the window. She looked up at the sky. "Poor girls got to be terrified"  
  
She fumbled for her keys in her purse. Finally finding them, she took a deep breath and opened the door, taking a deep breath before going in. Davis heard the doorknob rattle and turned around. "Tori?"  
  
"Davis? What are you doing here?" Tori looked around. "Where is Maurice, he's okay, what happen?"  
  
Davis put down his glass of milk on the table. "Him and Faith have been out looking for you. Where did you go?"  
  
Tori's lips were blue from the cold. She shivered a little. "Walking."  
  
"Okay where did you walk to?"  
  
"Just here and there?"  
  
"Well you're here and there has had your brother out of his mind."  
  
Tori snapped her head around. "Really?"  
  
"Yes really. Why you don't think he cares?"  
  
"I didn't say that, I just figured that after everything that has gone down lately that, well I don't know. Didn't really want to have much to do with me." She sat down on the couch.  
  
"I'm going to call him, let him know your back. He's really been worried."  
  
Bosco answered the phone. "Talk to me."  
  
"She's here at the house." Davis said.  
  
"For real, thank God. Whats she doing?"  
  
"Knitting a rug. Guess she was bored."  
  
"Davis!"  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "I don't know she's just sitting here. That's all."  
  
"I'm coming home make sure she doesn't go anywhere. Please."  
  
"Gotcha!"  
  
Bosco hung up. "She's at the apartment." He told Faith  
  
"Good Bosco, see I told you she would come back."  
  
Back at the apartment Davis sat next to Tori on the couch. "So you gonna tell me what happened, why you left like you did?"  
  
"Just so."  
  
"Look I'm not going to tell anyone or anything. Maybe if you would tell someone get it off your chest, well then maybe you would feel better."  
  
"Or may be you're lying and you'll tell everyone."  
  
Davis crossed him self, then reached his pinky out. "I swear, pinky swear."  
  
She looked up at the ceiling then over at Davis. "They brought some this guy in."  
  
"They?"  
  
"Yeah they- the people up at Mercy. They brought some cop in from Chicago who was shot a few years back, he's paralyzed from the neck down now. On a ventilator and all. So I guess someone got the bright idea to bring him in, thinking he could help us. Well they were wrong. It only made matters worse. He gave me that bullshit line. I know how you feel, I've been there before." Tori sighed. "It's not like that, he doesn't know I feel and he hasn't been there. He didn't get his own brother shot and he didn't put his own brother in a wheel chair. No he was driving along one night and bam he got shot. Yeah I feel sorry for him and all, but he doesn't know Ty, he can't possibly know what and how I feel."  
  
The door opened. "Tori, thank God."  
  
She looked over at her brother, tears running down her face, then at Ty. "I'm sorry for the way I acted this afternoon. I don't know what's gotten into me lately." She looked at faith. She knew what Faith was thinking. That she should tell her brother everything. The dreams and all. She shook her head at her.  
  
"Well we can talk about it tomorrow, just as long as you're okay. That's all I care about right now." He reached out and hugged Tori.  
  
"Yeah, just a little cold. That's all."  
  
"Hey Davis thanks for staying here and all."  
  
"No problem Bosco. Not like I had anything else better to do tonight."  
  
"What no hot date tonight?" Faith asked.  
  
"Not hot enough, that I couldn't cancel and help a friend out." He put his hand on Tori's shoulder. "Things will get better, you just wait and see. Look around. Have a room full of people willing to help. All you have to do is ask."  
  
She nodded. "Yeah I guess so."  
  
"I see you tomorrow Yokas. Later Bosco."  
  
"Peace Out Davis!" Bosco looked over at Tori. She sat on the couch. Just looking off into space. He couldn't even begin to wonder what was going through her mind.  
  
Faith heard a horn honk. "That's gotta be Fred. I better get going. I'll talk to you tomorrow okay, take it easy. Glad your okay Tori."  
  
She looked up and nodded.  
  
"Thank you for helping out Faith, I know you could have said no and just went home and spent the evening with Fred, but you chose to come and help. So thanks."  
  
"Hey I've known you for a long, you're like family. We stick together." She said closing the door behind her.  
  
"You want something to eat? It's not to late I can make something if you want."  
  
Tori stood up. "Maybe later. I think I'll take a hot bath. Warm up a bit."  
  
"Okay, sounds good." He searched his thought for something to say. "I love you Tori."  
  
"Yeah I know you do. I love you too. I just need some time. To figure out all of this. Clear my head."  
  
"I understand. If you ever feel like talking, please don't be afraid to come to me."  
  
She looked at him.  
  
"I mean it, don't be afraid."  
  
"Right don't be afraid. Okay got it."  
  
She made her way to the bathroom. Bosco could hear her turn on the bath. He looked up. "Please help me help her. Please."  
  
Tori closed her eyes for a little bit, when the images of her recurring dreams came back. She quickly opened them and shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Why the hell won't this go away?" she splashed water on her face. Blinked her eyes as the water ran down her face. "This sure as hell aint the way I pictured things."  
  
She got out of the bath, dried off and put on a pair of gray sweat pants, and a navy NYPD t-shirt. Threw her hair up in a ponytail and walked on out to the living room. "Can I ask why on earth you are watching hair loss infomercials?"  
  
"Because all the bladder control ones are over."  
  
"You're going bald aren't you?" She chuckled.  
  
"No- I'm not going bald. Thank you very much."  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
Bosco picked up a spoon and looked into it. Running his fingers through his hair. Just to reassure his self. "I am not going bald. Like I said the bladder control ones were over."  
  
"So are you saying you piss your self?" she asked sitting down on the couch, throw her legs on the coffee table.  
  
"I don't not piss my self, nor am I going bald."  
  
"It's okay if you are going bald and you pee your pants. Lots of people do it. They maybe infants and the elderly, but they do it."  
  
He shot her a look.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know what?"  
  
"C'mon now you can take a joke. Lighten up a little man. Take a deep breath and chill."  
  
Bosco picked up the remote and flipped through some channels. "Tori can I ask you something, without you jumping down my throat."  
  
She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "What is it?"  
  
"How come you waited till today to tell me how you felt?"  
  
Tori nervously adjusted her self on the couch. "I don't know." She looked down at the floor.  
  
"Tori, be honest with me."  
  
She looked over at him. "I am being honest. I really don't know why I didn't tell you. I dunno - I just thought you had your own problems to deal with, that you didn't need to give you anymore."  
  
"Who said it would give me more problems?"  
  
"Nobody." She said. "Life is a lot like a bitch in heat sometimes. If you just stand there you get screwed, but if you try and run away you get bit in the ass."  
  
"Standing there won't help any, either will running away."  
  
"Maybe not, but it's the easiest of the choices." She stood up.  
  
"Where you going?"  
  
"To bed, I'm bushed."  
  
"Want me to read you a bed time story."  
  
She laughed. "No that's alright. I think I'm a bit to old for bed time stories."  
  
"Okay. Suit your self. I'll see you in the morning and by the way nice shirt."  
  
"What this old thing. I've had it for ages."  
  
"Right, you stole that out of my closet."  
  
"Your wrong I stole it out of your dresser."  
  
He laughed. "Sweet dreams."  
  
Sweet dreams she thought to her self. It had been so long since she had one of those she had forgotten what they were like.  
  
(WE SEE TORI TOSSING AND TURNING IN HER BED. SHES ONCE AGAIN ALONE IN THE ROOM. ONLY THIS TIME SHE HEARS FOOTSTEPS. SHE CALLS OUT TO THEM BUT THERES NO ANWSER. JUST THE SOUND OF APPORACHING FOOTSTEPS. THEY STOP FOR A MINUET. SHE YELLS OUT FOR HELP AGAIN. NO ANWSER. THEY FOOTSTEPS CONTINUE ONCE MORE.)  
  
Tori sat straight up in her bed. Like a dart go into dartboard. Her sweat glazed her head, as if it were an early morning dew in the spring time. "Just a dream Tori, its only a dream." She said to her self. Looking at the alarm clock. It was only 4 am. She still had many hours left to sleep many hours left to dream. She laid her head back down on the pillow, hoping not to have that same nightmare again.  
  
The morning sun shone brightly through Tori's window. She could hear the birds outside chirping. "I give up, I don't want to do this anymore." She said to her self. She looked at the ceiling and exhaled loudly. "Alright just one more day." The apartment was chilly so when she got out of bed she threw her robe on. Quietly she made her way through the house. Her brother was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. She looked up at the clock. It was 7:15am the nurse would be here at 9am today.  
  
She went out side to get the morning paper. Watched as people hurried their way to work and school. Watched as someone let there dog do his business and not clean up after him. "That's sick, I walk past there." She said to her self. "Animals, both human and the four legged kind." She shook her head, turned around and made her way back into the apartment. Her brother was just getting up.  
  
"Mornin' sunshine." He smiled at her.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Sleep good?"  
  
She opened the cabinets and took some stuff out. "Yeah I guess so. How about you?"  
  
"Slept pretty darn good. What ya making?"  
  
"Some breakfast. You want some?"  
  
"If you tell me what exactly it is you are making."  
  
"Biscuits, gravy, sausage and eggs."  
  
"Biscuits and gravy." He laughed. "That's something hillbillies eat."  
  
"Yeah so. I reckon you take a liking to it." Tori said in her best southern voice.  
  
"And where did you learn to make all this?"  
  
She paused. "I lived in the south for a year."  
  
"Ahhhhhhh I see."  
  
The phone rang, Tori turned around to answer it but her brother had beat her to it. "Hey whats up. Isn't a bit early for you to be up on your day off? Okay right, well let me ask her."  
  
Tori looked over at Bosco. "Who is it?" She whispered.  
  
"Its Faith she would like to know if you would like to go to the Mall, today. A whole girls day out thing."  
  
"What about your therapy?"  
  
Bosco licked his bottom lip. "Yeah what about my therapy." He asked Faith. "Really? Well aint he lucky." He looked up at Tori who he could see was waiting on an answer form him. "Sully will take me, hes working today. For one reason or another. I don't start till Four O'clock so it will work out. So ya wanna go."  
  
She broke an egg into her a bowl. "Sure why not."  
  
"She said she'll go...Okay so about Noon. Okay see you then." He hung up. "So girls day out at the mall. Male bashing, stuffing your face with junk food, followed up by some more male bashing, then off to Victoria Secrets, hmmmmmmm and oh yeah that body scent store. Where they have all the lotions. You all standing around there sniffing the shit, like glue. Then you buy some, but its never the kind you sniffed, though the way it smells you should have sniffed it. Then you catch some chick flick, one that has male bashing in it also.  
  
She chuckled. "Oh so you think you got us figured out huh?"  
  
"Yeah pretty much, I forgot a nail and toe polish here and there but other then that I think I know what I'm talking about."  
  
She shook her head. "What about truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth or dare?" Bosco asked.  
  
"You know the sleep over tradition where you either prank call a cute boy in your class or tell everyone about your first kiss."  
  
"Oh yeah. I forgot all about that game."  
  
She finished up making breakfast and put some on a plate then handed it to her brother. She sat down with her own plate. Taking some eggs on her fork she peered over and watched her brother eating. His face showed a look of approval.  
  
"This is good. I was a little leery at first but this is good, I guess the cooking gene in the Boscorelli blood passed on." Bosco said as he took another bite.  
  
"Glad you like it bro." Tori said with a smile as she put a fork full of eggs into her mouth.  
  
By the time they had finished their breakfast the nurse was arriving to help out for the afternoon. Tori gathered up the dishes washed them then jumped in the shower. There was something about going to the mall with other females, well that made her do the whole hair and nails thing. Standing in front of her closet she searched for something to wear that was trendy yet comfortable...and a bit sexy. She settled on her "Worn look" jeans with sliver studs down the sides of the leg. They flared at the bottom and were frayed. She pulled on a black sleeveless shirt that had the words X-Rated written on it. Did her hair in to two messy piggy tails. A look that said I'm sexy but I have attitude. She used her two fake red hair pony ties. Which looked great in her dark hair. Did up her makeup, black eyeliner with glitter on the eye lids, a dark redish brown lip stick to give her the perfect look. She through on her boots. The black ones with the thick 3 inch heels. She checked her self out in the mirror. She ran her hands down both sides of her body. "Tori Boscorelli you are hot!" She walked into the living room.  
  
"Maybe I should come with you to the mall."  
  
Tori turned around and looked at her brother. "Why?"  
  
"Because with you dressed like that, someone has to keep the boys off you."  
  
She cracked a small smile. "So this outfit is happening?"  
  
"I be straight trippin' boo. That outfit is off the hes-zee"  
  
Tori laughed. "You watch too much MTV."  
  
"You just aint down like me."  
  
Tori turned around at the sound of a horn honking. "Right, so I'm not down." She threw on her black leather coat. "Have fun with Sully." She shook her hands in front of her. "Being down, while you're at it maybe you two can grab a slice together."  
  
"You have fun out there, and be careful."  
  
She gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head. "I will."  
  
He watched her walk out the door and hop into Faith's truck.  
  
"Hey." Emily turned around towards Tori. "My Mom let me play hookie today. Going up to the firehouse meet up with Kim and Alex."  
  
"I guess it's a real girls day out huh?" Tori asked.  
  
"Complete with ice cream." Faith joked.  
  
They arrived at Engine 55 and waited for Kim and Alex to come out. Tori sat nervously in her seat, she hoped that Kim wasn't going to say anything about her visit yesterday. She rubbed her forehead nervously as Kim and Alex walked out.  
  
Kim opened the door and peeked her head in. "Hey were going to take my Blazer. So we can all go together."  
  
Faith looked around. "Well alright I'll just park over here on the side."  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
Tori and Emily hopped out of the truck and made their way over to the Blazer.  
  
"Hey you two what up?" Kim asked.  
  
Tori gave her a nervous look. "Not much."  
  
Emily ran her fingers through her hair. "Nothing really."  
  
Faith came around the bend. "Okay good to go." She nodded her head.  
  
"My Brother's so worried about male bashing." Tori made quotations in the air.  
  
"That sounds like Bosco." Faith said looking at her. "He's always worried about what the females say and think about him."  
  
"Is he a player?" Tori asked.  
  
Faith looked at Alex and Kim, who were both laughing. "Yeah you can say that."  
  
The nurse had just left, Bosco looked at the clock. "Hmmm 2pm." He said to himself. He made his way over to the TV and grabbed the remote off the top of the TV. He reached for the remote when suddenly he felt a strange sensation. He stopped. Then looked down at his right foot, he had realized what that strange sensation was. He realized he could move his foot. A huge smile came across his face. It quickly went away. Was that really what he thought it was, or was it his imagination playing tricks on him? He took a deep breath and tried wiggling his toes. "Ahhhh hah." He yelled. "Holy shit, I can't believe this!" He looked up at the ceiling. "Yes! Yes this is great! I CAN MOVE MY RIGHT FOOOT!!!!!!" He screamed. He leaned his wheel chair back and spun it in a circle. "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"  
  
He couldn't wait to get to therapy. He couldn't wait to show Julie. Hell he couldn't wait to show anyone, but he had to. He wanted them to be just as surprised and happy as he was. He only hoped it wasn't a temporary thing. He hopped that when he got to therapy he would be able to do it again.  
  
When Sully arrived Bosco was like an eager puppy waiting to go to the bathroom. He couldn't sit still for anything.  
  
"Well I see someone ate their Wheaties today."  
  
Bosco made his way to the door. "Biscuits and gray?"  
  
"Huh?" Sully asked him.  
  
"Biscuits and gravy, that's what I had for breakfast, oh yeah and some sausage and eggs to."  
  
Sully scratched his neck. Right okay, well I guess then your not to hungry. Wanted to see if maybe you wanted to grab a slice afterwards.  
  
Bosco lifted his head up and looked at him.  
  
"What." Sully asked. "Is there something on my teeth?"  
  
"No, nothings on your teeth. Just something Tori said earlier that I just remembered. That's all. By the way thank you for taking me to therapy today."  
  
"Don't worry about it." He looked over at Bosco. "That's what friends are for right?"  
  
"Right!"  
  
When they finally got to the hospital Bosco could hardly wait to get out of the van to get upstairs. He looked up at the hospital and smiled. He looked back at Sully. "Hey man I'll meet you inside alright?"  
  
"Okay. 7th floor right?"  
  
"Yeah 7th door, get off the elevator make 3 rights and you'll see it."  
  
"Okay then. See you in a jiffy."  
  
Bosco made his way in. He pressed the button to call the elevator down. He seemed to be taking forever. He impatiently pressed the button several more times. "Damn it hurry the hell up!"  
  
It finally came down and the doors opened. He almost ran over people while trying to make his way in. They took forever to get out and he didn't have forever he had to get up there now. The doors closed and Bosco pressed the button up to the 7th floor. He looked down at his foot and tried to move it one more time. He sighed with relief. "Good she won't think I'm nuts when I tell her I can move my right foot." He said to himself  
  
The doors opened on the 7th floor. He pulled out like and racecar pulling out of the pit stops. Made his way down to the room. "I can move my right foot, you may not believe me but I can do it." He said tearing into the room.  
  
Julie turned around and looked at him. "Come again."  
  
"Look. At my right foot, just look."  
  
Julie looked down as he moved his right foot. A smile came across her face. "Maurice that's excellent! Does your sister know?"  
  
"Nah she wasn't home, she went out with the girls today. I'm gonna show her when I get home." He said cheerfully.  
  
"Tell her what?" Sully asked as he came.  
  
Bosco turned around in his wheel chair and showed him what he could do.  
  
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "How come you didn't tell me before?"  
  
"I wanted to save it for a surprise." He said.  
  
Julie took off his shoe and sock and poked him with a small needle like device. "Can you feel that?"  
  
"Yeah, Yeah I felt that. This is even better then I though. I can feel that and I can move my foot. I can't wait to tell Tori. She's going to slip when she sees this!" He looked down at his toes as he wiggled them. "Wonder how long its going to take me to move the other foot?"  
  
A smile came over Sully's face, he looked over at Julie then down at Bosco. "Probably anytime now!"  
  
Tori walked through the mall with Faith, Alex, Kim and Emily. "I can't believe I just spent 45 dollars on a tank top." Tori said as she held up a pink tank top that powder blue striped across the chest.  
  
"I can't believe they make tank tops that small, are you sure you bought that at the Gap and not Baby Gap?" Faith asked.  
  
"Yes I'm sure."  
  
"Actually Mom it's cute. I like it, may buy one my self." Emily said  
  
"Over my dead body, theres no way in hell you're going to wear that shirt."  
  
"Its not that bad." Tori placed the tank back in her bag.  
  
They stopped at a few stores looking but not buying. Just seeing the latest trends. They were on their way to cinn-a-bon when they passed a fountain.  
  
"I'm gonna make a wish." Tori got a penny from her purse and went over to the fountain. "I wish my brother would walk again." She said to her self. She watched the penny as it hit the water. He could see her reflection in the water as it rippled. She just started at her self. Hoping her wish would come true. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. "Huh?"  
  
"Cinn-a-bon. C'mon lets go." Alex told her.  
  
"Oh yeah, Cinn-a-bon." She got up and walked away, she took a quick look back at the fountain and then up at the ceiling.  
  
Tori picked at her cinnamon roll. "Gotta love extra forsting." She licked her lips.  
  
"Yeah well I had a crush on the guys from that hair band Poison when I was younger." Kim said while licking some frosting off her finger.  
  
"I liked Sunny Bono." Faith said with a half smile.  
  
"I had a thing for Bon Jovi."  
  
Tori looked at Alex, a wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. "These people, their all so old."  
  
"Yeah so? Who do you like?" Kim nodded.  
  
Tori pressed her lips together. "Dale Earnhardt Jr." she wisphered.  
  
"Who?" Kim asked confused.  
  
"He's a racecar driver. She picked a good one, he's not to bad looking." Faith said as she finished up her cinnamon roll.  
  
"Not bad! Not bad! The man is hot." Tori said.  
  
"Never heard of him. Guess I live under a rock." Kim said.  
  
"Guess you do." Alex said. "I've watched a race or two on TV and he's good."  
  
"Wonder where I have been all this time, seeing as I just found out about him."  
  
Tori looked around. "Don't get any ideas. He's mine I saw him first."  
  
"Someone's claiming their territory there." Kim said.  
  
Faith laughed. "I'm sure your brother would let you date him."  
  
"I'm 22 I'll be 23." She paused. "I'll be 23 soon, what is he gonna do?"  
  
"Lock you up and throw away the key. He's over protective like that, you could be 45 and he'd try and do it."  
  
Tori gave a snotty look and rolled her head. "Well we'll just see about that now will we. So Emily who do you like?" she asked.  
  
"Justin Timberlake. He's a little bit older then me, but he's still a cutie."  
  
"Didn't he have a fling with Brittany Spears?" Alex spun around and walked backwards.  
  
"Yeah but they broke up. One half didn't know what the other half was thinking." Tori told her as she sipped her soda through a straw.  
  
They walked passed the theaters. "What time is it?" Kim asked.  
  
"Bout 5:30." Tori said while looking at her watch.  
  
"Lets go see a movie."  
  
"What movie?" Faith asked.  
  
"The new one with Vin Desial."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
"I guess it couldn't be to bad." Tori said.  
  
Bosco and Sully were leaving the hospital. "So you still up for grabbing a bite to eat, or as you would say. A slice?"  
  
"Yeah sure why not." Sully said. "Theres a new place on 92nd. I've heard some good things about it."  
  
"Well lets check it out. I'm sure Tori is still at the mall with everyone. So I have some time."  
  
"Alright then a slice at the place on 92nd. Lets go." Sully said buckling him self in.  
  
(During the movie Tori falls asleep. Her dreams come back. "I hear footsteps coming. I yell out but no one answers. The footsteps get closer. Again I yell asking who's there, but no answer. The footsteps get closer. A door opens and a bright light shines in. I ask who's there, what do they want, they just stand there. They walk a little closer and all of the sudden I see a gun. Like the one that day in the bank, and he begins to open fire")  
  
Tori wakes up, gasping for her breath. She looks around. Desperately trying to breath.  
  
"Tori?" Faith looks over at her. "Tori whats wrong. You okay." She looked over at Kim. "Somethings wrong."  
  
Tori continues to gasp for air. A look of fear in her face. As if to say am I going to die? The lights in the theather come on during all the commotion. Alex and Kim look at each other. Kim put her popcorn down and picked up Tori in her arms laying her down in the aisle.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Faith asked.  
  
"I dunno." Alex looked down at her then up at Kim. "Let's just get her to Mercy."  
  
Tori had a death grip on Kim's hand. A look of terror on her face. Her eyes red. She tried to get air as hard as she could.  
  
"I'm going to call Bosco. Have him meet us there."  
  
"Yeah do that." Kim said carrying Tori out of the theater.  
  
"Mom what's wrong with Tori?" Emily asked following behind.  
  
"I don't know Hun. I don't know." She got on her cell phone and called Bosco's house there was no answer. She tired calling his cell but only got his voice mail. "Damn it Bosco answer your phone!" She tired Sullys phone.  
  
"Hello." His voice was breaking up as they drove through a tunnel  
  
"Sully?"  
  
"Yokas?"  
  
Bosco looked over at Sully puzzled. "What does she want?"  
  
Sully shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Sully is Bosco still with you?"  
  
"Well yeah we were about to go get a slice, why?"  
  
Bosco looked at Sully waiting for an answer.  
  
"Change of plans, get back to Mercy. It's Tori. Somethings happened."  
  
"What is she okay.." Sully said as Bosco grabbed the phone from his hands.  
  
"Faith whats wrong?" He felt nervous, not knowing what was happening but knowing it must be something bad.  
  
Her voice cracked, with a little bit of fear. "I don't know Bos, just get to Mercy." Faith said as she climbed into the Blazer.  
  
Bosco could hear Tori's struggle in the back round. "Tori..." Bosco managed to get out before being cut off.  
  
"Bosco? Bosco? Damn it I lost the signal" Faith said  
  
Bosco looked over at Sully. "How fast does this thing go?"  
  
They pulled up at Mercy and Kim ran in with Tori lying her on a stretcher. She watched as they wheeled her in. She could see Tori's face. It was like she saw a ghost.  
  
They all stood there watching, helplessly.  
  
"Where is she?" Bosco asked. He came in with Sully right behind.  
  
"Still in there. I don't know what happened. One minuet she was sitting in the theater, the next she was gasping for air. It was like some turned it off on her. She looked so scared. She wouldn't let go of Kim's hand. Had such a grip on it that she almost broke it." Faith said while looking into the room where Tori was.  
  
Bosco could see that she was worried that she felt bad. As if it her in some way her fault. He went up to the nurses desk and asked if he could see her. When came back both angry and hurt. "They won't let me see her, least not yet."  
  
"Makes me miss the days when Moralas was around. She would have let him seen her." Kim said.  
  
"Yeah it's become like a prison here." Faith said as she ran her finger on her mouth.  
  
An hour later the doctor came out. "Maurice Boscorelli?" He asked. "You can see her in a few. I have to talk with you a second. Your sister had what was known as a panic attack."  
  
Faith looked over at Bosco.  
  
He sat quiet nodded his head.  
  
"She said something about being in a bank and people getting shot."  
  
Bosco looked up at him. "Yeah, that's how I got shot. It was a robbery gone bad. She saw it all."  
  
"Did she ever get any help. Seek counseling?" The doctor asked.  
  
"Well no she said she was okay, up until know she seemed okay." Bosco said worried.  
  
"Did she ever mention anything about nightmares she was having?"  
  
Faith could feel Bosco's eyes lock on her she looked away.  
  
"No she didn't say, no one said anything." Bosco said in a stern deep voice while still looking at Faith.  
  
"Well you can go see her if you would like. I got to finish filling and writing out a prescription for her, that she can get down in our pharmacy."  
  
"What kind of prescription?" Bosco asked.  
  
"Xanax, to help with pain attacks."  
  
Bosco nodded her head. "Yeah I know what it is." He looked over at Faith before going in. "How could you not tell me about those nightmares, I don't care if she didn't want you to tell me you should have told me either way. That's something I should have known Yokas!" He turned around and made his way into Tori's room. She was just finishing up putting her clothes back on. Bosco looked down at the floor. "Oh Sorry."  
  
"It's cool just my butt, that's all. And I am wearing underwear. It's not like you haven't seen anything like that before." Tori was exhausted, but tried to tuff it out for her brother.  
  
"Yeah but its awkward, and all." Bosco said.  
  
Tori jumped up on to the bed. "How long does it take to fill a prescription?"  
  
"He should be here in a few. I think he had to sign something or whatever. You know who doctors can be." He fixed his eyes on Tori, and tilted his head slightly. "You could have told me about your dreams. I wouldn't have been mad or anything. I'm your brother and well when things like that are happening you should tell me."  
  
"Don't get all Mother Hen on me and what not. I didn't tell you because I wanted you to focus on your therapy and not your mental sister."  
  
"Your not mental." Bosco said.  
  
She turned around at him. "I went ape shit in a movie theater, hows that not mental?"  
  
"You couldn't help that Hun?" He put his hand on her leg. "I'm just glad you're okay." He looked down at his feet. "Oh guess what?"  
  
She looked up at him. "Huh?"  
  
He looked down at his right foot and moved it then looked up at Tori. Her face lit up with a huge a smile.  
  
"That's good right?" She asked reassuring her self  
  
"Yeah real good and I can feel the pin prick too."  
  
She looked at him and smiled even wider. He hadn't seen her smile like this in ages. "Wow, so you're gonna...?"  
  
"Walk? Eventually. Least I hope so. But either way its good Tori. Its real good." He looked over at her. He could see the far off look, he could see that she was worried. "This whole thing with the panic attacks. "We'll get through it. You and I together."  
  
She looked over at him. Blinked once but didn't say anything, just looked down back at the floor. "I feel like a freak. I'm not normal. Theres something wrong with me. Everyone in that theater just stared at me like I was a side show."  
  
"It's not that bad really. I-I've had them my self."  
  
She lifted her head.  
  
"Yeah about a year ago. I did the same thing you did. The whole holier than thou thing. Where I acted bad and tough. Made it look like it didn't bother me. Deep down inside though it ate me apart. Till one day, something set it off. Kind of like your dream, kind of like the move. Who knows had there not been gunfire during the movie. It may not have set it off, maybe you would have just had the dream. Ya know."  
  
"How did you handle it?"  
  
"Just by doing what it is you and I are going to do." He told her.  
  
"That is?"  
  
"Take it one day at a time, seek some help talk to someone."  
  
She cocked her head to the side. "I dunno about all that."  
  
"Well I do. We'll do it together. You don't have to go by your self. Not unless you want to go by your self that is?"  
  
"You mean you would actually go with me to something like that?"  
  
"Why not, it might be fun. On one condition though, you still come with me to all my therapy sessions. Well at least all the ones you can make. Will you do that?"  
  
She nodded her head and smiled. "Yeah I think I can do that." Tori could see Faith standing outside looking in. "Hey don't be so hard on Faith. She kept all those things about me from you because I asked her. In fact I had to beg her. She was going to tell you, but I didn't want her too. I didn't want you knowing nothing at all. So don't be mad at her, please. She was just trying to do what I asked. I think she's beat her self up enough by not telling you that, well- you don't need to add to it."  
  
"I know, I just feel like that maybe if she would have told me. It wouldn't have gotten that bad."  
  
"But if she would have told you then I wouldn't have been able to trust her. I wanted to be bale to trust her." She paused and itched her nose. "She's like the mother I never had. I mean my Mom was always to busy selling her self for crack. So when I saw that I might be able to trust Faith, I liked it. It was something new. You're lucky to have her as your partner. I don't think that too many like her come around often. Be thankful"  
  
Bosco turned around and looked at her. He smiled and then looked back at Tori. "I am aren't I?"  
  
It was about 11:30 when Tori finally got home. She laid down on the couch and turned on the TV. So she finally gave up to sleep.  
  
"You didn't have to come back over here you know." Bosco told Faith.  
  
"I know I guess I just wanted to make sure that she was okay. For me. So that I could try and get some sleep tonight."  
  
"You know what Tori told me tonight. She said I was lucky that I had you as a partner, that there aren't to many partners out there. That are like you."  
  
"And what did you say?" Faith took a sip of her coffee.  
  
"I told her that she was right. There really aint too many partners like you. Sorry I jumped down your throat tonight. I know you were only trying to help. I think it's great Tori has someone she can trust to go to. Besides me that is."  
  
"Ahh you were only being Bosco. I understand. So what's next? What are you two going to do?"  
  
"Well were both going to get counseling."  
  
"Both?" Faith asked.  
  
Bosco made his way over to Tori. "Yup both, she shouldn't have to do it by her self. I want to be there for her. Like she's been there through out my therapy." He told Faith as he covered his sister with a blanket.  
  
"I'm happy for you Bosco. That's a very noble thing you are doing for her. You may not see it right away, but I'm sure it's going to mean a lot to her." Faith put her coat on and looked down at her.  
  
Bosco smiled and stuck his chest out. "I'm noble."  
  
Faith rolled her eyes. "I created a monster." She laughed. "I'll call you sometime tomorrow Bos." She said making her way out the door.  
  
"Can't wait." Bosco said turning off the TV. "Hey Yokas."  
  
Faith came back into the door way. "What now Bosco?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She cracked a half smile. "For what?"  
  
"For being my partner." He shyly said.  
  
"Hey I wouldn't miss it for the world." She closed the door behind her and left.  
  
Bosco turned all the lights off in the living room. Then in the kitchen. He looked at Tori right before turning off the last light. "Sleep tight kid." 


End file.
